Traveling along the NEW WAY with Rev. Johan Vilhelm Eltvik to show the great impact of the worldwide YMCA movement. Join me for visits to local realities and read about stunning people and courageous actions.

EGYPT JUST NOW – AUGUST 16

I have just had my daily conversation with Samy Armia Nashed. Above you can see him in his office with some of his closest staff in Cairo. Because of the curfew in Cairo starting from 19.00, Samy have had to leave the office early to make sure that he comes home before it is illegal to move on the streets of Cairo.

Today there has been trouble and problems very close to the YMCA building in Cairo, only 100-200 metres away from the building.

Friday was expected to be a day full of demonstrations and clashes, and many people have been killed in Cairo and also in Alexandria there have been at least 7 deaths today.

Samy is in regular contact with his National YMCA board, and also with all the 26 local YMCAs. Samy says there are many positive comments and grateful reactions from ordinary YMCA people in response to all the comments and statements of support from around the globe, as they can read on the internet and social media.

I am asked to share the gratefulness and comfort they all feel because they are not left alone and they feel part of a big, world wide movement of brothers and sisters.

Today there has been less dangerous focus on the YMCA buildings around Egypt, either because the police has set aside more resources to protect them, or, as in Asyut YMCA, a big property with a garden inside, where the young YMCA members are staying inside the property, in the garden, to make sure that if anybody tries to burn their YMCA, they can extinguish the fire.

From Alexandria

Samy sounds more relaxed today, more at ease. Yesterday was a heavy day, very difficult. Today at least no new YMCA building has been attacked, and in Egypt just now even lack of bad news for a little while is a big relief. But as Samy tells me, the country is on fire, both in Cairo and in Alexandria and all the way to upper Egypt

Asyut city today

We discuss what we can do to assist them, and still Samy is trying to get more information from the different parts of the country.

Alexandria in more paeaceful days

As soon as we have more concrete overview of the damage, we will come back to possible assistance to the YMCA in Egypt.

At the same time we hear different viewpoints from within Egypt, and from people in the middle of the turmoil reactions are strong to the different perspectives from the news on television and newspapers.

Meanwhile we pray for Egypt, for all people of Egypt and for a better future for this great country, having suffered so much so long.

Magdy, the CEO of Alexandria YMCA at my right hand side and staff and volunteers from Alexandria YMCA

And for Samy and his staff and volunteers in Cairo and all over Egypt, for Magdy and his people in Alexandria, for our Change Agents in Egypt – God bless you all in these terrible days of fear and violence. We are all close to you in our thoughts and prayers.